1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to devices that allow a user to glide over snow, and more particularly to recreational use snowboards. Specifically, the present invention relates to snowboards with a foot securing system and a mechanical braking system to prevent runaway boards.
2. Description of the Related Art
When it snows, and especially if school is closed, many people in the neighborhood flock to a local hill or park to take their children sledding. A variety of devices can be used to glide down a hill or embankment, providing a thrilling experience to the rider. The devices vary from wooden and plastic sliders, sleds with rails, blow up snow tubes, and skateboard-type boards called snowskates. These devices generally do not have any kind of binding to secure the rider.
The sled, slider or tube rider typically lies flat or sits on the device though the more adventurous may try to stand. The snowskate rider stands on the device. Riders may also use alpine skis and snowboards, which also are ridden standing up. Alpine skis and snowboards differ from the other devices in that they have devices to hold the rider to the skis or board.
Alpine skis and snowboards require the rider to wear large and heavy boots, which are secured to the ski or board with a complicated binding mechanism. There are some slip-on type bindings found on some snowboards, which are like slider slippers, where a user may slide their foot under a strap, but are also clumsy and do not allow the user to release easily when stopping or in a fall, nor do they arrest the board. The binding of the foot to the skis or board enables the user to turn and brake by tilting the device sideways, so that the lateral edge of the device digs into the snow, creating friction, resulting in a turn or stop. Without this binding, a skier or snowboarder would be less able to effectively turn and stop, unable to remain on the board during use and while going over jumps and other obstacles, and unable to have the device stop on its own if the rider were to fall off, absent a separate arresting device. However, the binding and braking mechanisms of alpine skis and snowboards are complicated and impractical for light recreational use, and thus these skis and snowboards are generally not used on smaller hills outside of alpine resorts.
As specialized boots and complicated binding mechanisms are also impractical for recreational sleds, sliders, tubes and snowskates, often the only means of initiating turns and stops on such a device is for the rider to lean on one or the other lateral edge. Without such specialized boots and binding mechanisms, another way of arresting the movement of the board must be found, or the board will continue to move without the rider, potentially becoming runaway or causing harm to property and/or persons. Thus, the typical sled, slider, tube, or snowskate lacks any real means of easily securing a rider to the device, in addition to a braking system that prevents a runaway device should the user disengage or fall from it.